Tobacco-retainer.



R. G. LOWMAN.

TOBACCO RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1912.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

INVENTOR. wmw

I A) Attorney,

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANUURAPH c0., WASHINGTON, u c.

R. G. LOWMAN.

TOBACCO RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27,1912.

1,058,61 1 Patented Apr. 3, 1913,

2 SHEETS-S EET 2.

[N VEN T OK hi, A Home COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cp., WASHINGTON. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT G. LOWMAN, .OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR T0 GEORGE POPE, OF

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TOBACCO-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

Application filed March 27, 1912. Serial No. 686,633.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT G. LowMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Re tainers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of receptacles employed in the manufacture of plug-tobacco, known as gums or re tainers, and adapted to receive the lumps or rectangular cakes after they are taken from the press, and maintain them against expansion until theybecome set and ready to be packed in boxes for the market.

The present invention is designed as an improvement on the retainer described and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 586,414 granted to Thomas H. Betty, under date of July 13, 1897, and its object is to improve the details of construction of this character of retainers, and the improved features will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this specification, and set forth and defined in the appended claims. is a view in perspective of the improve ment in closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the retainer in open position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of one of the cam levers employed. Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating the double hinging of one of the sides of the retainer, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the removable bottom of the retainer.

The reference numeral 1 designates the back of the receptacle having one side 2 secured thereto, said back and side being disposed at right angles to each other and forming half of the completed structure.

3 and 4 designate parallel angle bars extending around the back 1 and side 2. To the ends 5 and 6 of these bars which project beyond the edge of the back are hinged the proximate ends of bars 7 and 8 secured to the folding side 9, while the opposite ends of said bars 7 and 8 are hinged to parallel bars 10 and 11 secured to the front section of the retainer and provided with slotted heads 12 and 13 having beveled shoulder 14 coacting with the cams 15 of the levers 16 pivotally secured to the front projecting ends of the angle bars 3 and 4. These levers In the drawingFigure 1 tween the walls of the slotsin the heads 12 and 13, the rear ends of the bolts being secured by nuts 18 within recesses in the ends of the bars 3 and 4, while their forward ends are pivotally secured to the cams of the levers 16. as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The bottom 19 of the retainer is preferably separable from the back and sides, and it is provided on its out-er face with recesses 19 to receive the horizontally projected ends 20 of the vertical reinforcing bars 21 fitting within recesses formed on the outer faces of the sides, and serving to secure the bottom in position. Instead of projecting these reinforcing bars 21 above the top edges of the sides as in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to, their upper ends are flush with the upper edges of the sides and below said upper ends are formed key slots 22 registering with similar slots formed in the upper portions of the side walls and with like slots 23- formed in the metallic lining plates 24 set into recesses on the inner faces of the side walls. This construction affords a very secure support for the parallel locking keys 25 employed,

and the metal lining plates prevent the cutting old or rounding of the plugs, thus insuring the desired square plugs.

As shown in Figs. 1 and2 of the drawings it will be seen that the slots 23 are located below the upper surface of the sides and pass through the metal lining plates 24 and the wooden sides, and register with the slots 22 in the reinforcing bars 21, thus furnishing a widened and increased bearing surface for the locking keys or bars 25, and serving to prevent the locking keys from being bent or broken. The steel lining plates 24 also serve to prevent the locking keys from cutting into the wooden sides, and form a smooth surface for the lump or plug tobacco to slide against as it is pressed downward below the slots 23.

The keys 25 are headed, and secured in place by wedges 26, after the top or cover of the retainer is placed in position.

The operation of the improvement will be readily understood, and is similar to that of the patented device referred to, but the double hinging of one side of the structure, and the novel means for supporting the locking keys clearly distinguish the present 1 invention from that disclosed in the Letters Patent referredto.

The angle bars 3 and 4, bars 7 and 8, and parallel bars 10 and 11, are each secured to the structure by straps 27, having their ends bent to form ears 28 which are secured to the side, back and front by screws or like means, the body portions of the straps being secured to wooden filling strips 29 arranged between the parts of the bars as shown.

.Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A tobacco gum or retainer, comprising a section consisting of a rigidly connected back and side, said side being provided with slots therethrough below its upper surface, angle bars embracing said back and side, cam levers loosely connected to the forward end of said angle-bars, a side section hinged to the opposite ends of said angle bars, said side section having slots eX- tending therethrough below its upper surface, a front section hinged to said hinged side section, bars secured to said front section, said bars having slotted heads and beveled shoulders cooperating with said cam levers, reinforcing bars secured to the outer side of each side section and terminating with the upper surface of each side section, and a locking key passing through each reinforcing bar and through the slot in each side section and secured within said slots.

2. In a tobacco gum or retainer, the combination with a section consisting of a rigidly connected back and side, of a hinged side section provided with slots extending therethrough below its upper surface, a front section hinged to said hinged side section, metallic lining plates secured to the inner sides of said side sections and formed with slots registering with the slots in the side sections, reinforcing bars secured to the outer sides of said side sections and also formed with slots registering with the slots in said side sections said reinforcing bars terminating flush with the upper surface of the side sections, and means for locking the side sections together.

3. In a tobacco gum or retainer, the combination with a section consisting of a rigidly connected back and side, of a hinged side section, a hinged front section secured to the hinged side section, said side sections being provided with slots below their upper ends, metallic lining plates secured to the inner sides of said side sections and formed with slots registering with the slots in the side sections, reinforcing bars secured to the outer sides of said side sections and terminating flush with the upper surface of the side sections and also formed with slots registering wit-h the slots in said side sections, and means for locking the side sections together comprising headed keys extending through said Slots in the side sections and reinforcing bars, and wedges for retaining said keys in place.

ROBERT Gr. LOVVMAN. Witnesses R. H. MEADE, If B. MEADE.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing-the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

